“The Dust of Terlingua” - a song about Terlingua
Recorded this one just outside of Terlingua, TX in a little pocket of shade while the sun was 10,000 degrees, hence the sexy knees. Give the people what they want.
Story Pairing
I don’t get to stay in one place very long when I am on a tour. It’s normally an in and out situation. Because of that, you get really good at falling in love fast with a place. You breathe it in with anxious lungs, and taste all that there is in a place, and then exhale with a goodbye on your lips. It’s a bittersweet way to see the world. On one hand you get to add room after room in your heart for some really beautiful areas, but on the other, those rooms sit empty a lot, waiting until the next visit.
That’s all an attempt at a poetic way to say “hot damn there are some beautiful places out there and I don’t want to leave”.
On this tour I had the option to go from Kansas to Oklahoma to play some shows and make some money, or go from Kansas to Big Bend to go explore a new national park and camp out of the van while eating beef jerky. It was a no brainer. Big Bend, let’s boogie. I had also been told about a little ghost town there by friend and amazing musician Emilie Clepper. So with her guidance I reached out to some folks down there with the hopes of booking a show to offset a portion of the gas. I booked a house concert at Temple of the Bird, so that was all I needed to pull the trigger on that leg of the tour. I knew I would love the national park, I’ve yet to be in one that didn’t wow me in some way. What I didn’t know was how much I would love being in Terlingua.
There are plenty of little communities out there full of artists and musicians and creatives galore, but most of them get found quickly. When they are found they get commercialized, and that changes them in a lot of ways. The charm that draws us in starts to sputter when greedy hands are yanking on the edges. While there is certainly a tourism aspect to Terlingua, it’s far enough off the beaten path that it holds so much of its charm out of reach of said hands. The people there are a community and they look after each other in a special way. Tourists don’t always get to plug into the local scene, but learn to play a guitar and you can fast track it. After playing my show, I ended up making a ton of friends, picking up another gig, and extending my stay by a few days. What a perfect time I had.
Some highlights
Breakfast burritos each morning at Espresso Y Poco Mas
Tacos and horchata at Taqueria el Milagro
Picking up a second show at The Boathouse
Meeting and recording a video with Alex Teller
Learning about stars from Butch Hancock
Every single thing about Big Bend National Park
Leaving with a ton of new friends and inspiration, and a new song of course
Here are a few shots from the show at Temple of the Bird from photographer Tony Drewery
So clearly I had a blast and that fuels a lot of this song. The other piece is the dust. Going into desert areas always provides this heavy amount of respect and perspective of areas that don’t have the water that I’m used to. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, water is everywhere. From the obvious Great Lakes to all of the ponds and rivers and smaller lakes, we have water in abundance. To be in a place where every drop is precious, you can’t help but be in awe of the land and the people that produces. The least I could do was to put some of that awe into a tune.
Terlingua, I love you, and until next time. - Ben
Song Structure
Chords:
Verse - A / E / A / A / D / A / E / D
Chorus - A / D / A / E / D / A
Voice Memos
Notebook Page
Oct 2024
Lyrics
The dust of Terlingua is calling
Feel it's pull deep in my bones
When I'm away, too far astray
The dust of Terlingua begs please come back home
I've been taking my name
Try to trade it for fame
With the pickers at old music row
Fighting the crowds
Singing too loud
Is all they seem to know
Their hats and their boots
Their sparkling suits
Won't make it where I long to go
The neons their under
Pale next to the wonder
My star of the west's perfect glow
The dust of Terlingua is calling
Feel it's pull deep in my bones
When I'm away, too far astray
The dust of Terlingua begs please come back home
Too many a night
Spent wasting sight
Thinking this could be the one
Trying to make
A hit that would take
Me right up to the sun
I'd look down from space
At the whole human race
And curse at what I had done
Much too far above
The place that I love
The distant song on her tongue
The dust of Terlingua is calling
Feel it's pull deep in my bones
When I'm away, too far astray
The dust of Terlingua begs please come back home
The two stepping feet
The sweat and the heat
As I play to the familiar smiles
They all understand
The hot desert sand
Can never go out of style
It welcomes us all
If you hear it's call
The beauty is worth all the miles
You won't want to go
Trust us we know
Come dance in the dust for a while
The dust of Terlingua is calling
Feel it's pull deep in my bones
When I'm away, too far astray
The dust of Terlingua begs please come back home
When I'm away, too far astray
The dust of Terlingua begs please come back home